Clipper Organic Green Tea: How to Brew a Forgiving Green

Clipper Fairtrade Organic Green Tea: a forgiving green for beginners

Most people who say they dislike green tea were served it too hot and brewed too long, which makes nearly any green leaf taste metallic. This one shrugs off those mistakes better than most, and that is the best reason to start with it.

Published 26 Sep 2026 Curator-written, not crowdsourced

Clipper Fairtrade Organic Green Tea: a forgiving green for beginners, in summary: A soft, hay-sweet green with little grip, in eighty 2g bags. Brew at 80 degrees for two or three minutes and skip the milk; overdo it and it goes flat rather than bitter. It does contain caffeine.

Last reviewed by the teas.co.uk team in September 2026.

Most people who say they dislike green tea were served it too hot and brewed too long, which makes nearly any green leaf taste metallic. This one shrugs off those mistakes better than most, and that is the best reason to start with it.

Why it is hard to spoil

Green tea is leaf that has never been oxidised, and the harsh, astringent edge people dislike is what a hot, long brew drags out of it. This blend carries very little of that material, so pushed too far it goes flat rather than harsh. The flavour is modest by design: a light sweetness that recalls hay, a hint of cut grass behind it, almost no grip and a short, clean finish.

In the cup it is a pale straw colour with only a hint of green, so do not expect the jade colour of a Japanese sencha, nor the savoury weight of a tea with ground leaf or matcha in it. It is a straightforward bag green that is hard to get wrong, which is exactly the job it is there to do on a busy kitchen shelf.

Water at 80 degrees, and no milk

Aim for water around 80 degrees. Let a boiled kettle rest for three or four minutes, or cool the cup with a dash of cold water before the bag goes in; there is no need for a thermometer. Two minutes is the target and three is fine. Leave it five and it goes a little flat, still drinkable, where a more delicate green would turn on you.

Each bag holds about 2g, from 160g across eighty bags, the standard green tea weight. Use a normal cup: in a big mug the tea simply turns weak, and steeping longer does not bring it back. Drink it clear, because a light green has nothing for milk to hold on to and ends up pale and stale-tasting; a slice of lemon, or of fresh ginger, works well instead.

A green tea for the lunch table

With so little grip, this is a green that sits comfortably beside food rather than fighting it, which is why it suits lunch and the long afternoon more than quiet study. It is also caffeinated, which surprises people who file green tea with the herbal infusions, so treat it like any other tea late in the day. Eighty bags of something this easy-going tend to go quickly.

Organic and Fairtrade are both in the product name and on the published ingredient line, which lists organically grown green tea traded under Fairtrade standards. Neither is a flavour note: one describes how the leaf is grown, the other how it is bought. Within the Clipper range this is the daytime green; the peppermint and chamomile infusions are the after-dinner end of the shelf.

The packs we stock

Clipper Fairtrade Organic Green Tea, 80 Tea Bags 160g (barcode 5021991979019)

What the label says

The published ingredient list for Clipper Fairtrade Organic Green Tea, 80 Tea Bags 160g names none of the 14 major allergens. Before buying the Clipper green tea, look at the current UK pack: recipes and allergen notes are sometimes revised.

Ingredients, as published: Organically Grown Green Tea, Tea: Traded in compliance with Fairtrade Standards, total 100%.

Ingredient and nutrition information for this product, as published on the manufacturer's label. Trust the Clipper green tea pack you hold.

What to eat with it

Lu Le Petit Beurre Biscuits With Butter & a Hint of Salt, 167g: a butter biscuit with a hint of salt that gives a quiet green cup a little richness to sit beside.
McVitie's Rich Tea Biscuits, 300g: a plain, light biscuit that leaves the soft sweetness of the tea in charge.
Border Lemon Drizzle Melts Organic Biscuits, 150g: lemon picks up the idea of a slice in the cup and brightens a gentle afternoon green.

Elsewhere in the Clipper range

The full range is on the Clipper brand page.

FAQ

Is green tea caffeine-free like a herbal infusion? No. This is a caffeinated green tea, made from tea leaf, and it is not a herbal infusion.

What temperature should green tea be brewed at? About 80 degrees. Let a boiled kettle rest for three or four minutes, or add a splash of cold water to the cup first.

Can I add milk to green tea? It is best without. A light green has too little body for milk; lemon or a slice of fresh ginger suits it better.

Why does green tea taste bitter or metallic? Usually because the water was too hot and the bag stayed in too long. This blend is forgiving, but 80 degrees and two or three minutes gives the softest cup.

How much tea is in each bag? About 2g, which is standard for a green tea bag and sized for a cup rather than a large mug.

Curator's note: If green tea has let you down before, give this one a fair go at the right temperature beside a plain lunch. It asks for very little and it is easy company. Lee, teas.co.uk, Tunbridge Wells.

In short: Clipper Fairtrade Organic Green Tea: a forgiving green for beginners

Field	Detail
Brand	Clipper
Packs we stock	80 Tea Bags 160g
Category	Organic Tea Bags
Allergens (as published)	Of the 14 major allergens, Clipper's published green tea ingredients name none.
Caffeine	caffeinated
Water	About 80 degrees
Steep	Two to three minutes, no milk
Best with	Lunch, or a butter biscuit in the afternoon